Cover plate



CCLl 20, 1931. H. E, SPENCER 1,827,881

COVER PLATE Original Filed Feb. 25, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l ct. 20, 1931. l H. E. SPENCER l 15327381 COVER PLATE Original Filed Feb. 25, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet` 2 'a6 0 22 es 6 vwefwtoz l kPatented Oct. 20,1931

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isaiasi? i l HARRY .E-SEENGEB, E NEWHAVEECOENEGTICT, AssIGNon fro UNrvERs-ALvk @Een Vsir-111er. coaronnriorn on NEW Yon-K, n.51., Aconronnrron or DELAWARE covEn PLATE originar application med' rebriiiy'zaiaae, fseriai No. 342,685.y Divided and thisv applimionl inea March eavieaefserai No. 351,014. v

This inventionfrelatesin general to pneumatic gear shifts; and in particular to cover plates for the transmission gear boxes oi?` automobiles equipped-with pneu-matic gear lt is anobiject ofthe invention toprovide a'cover' plate embodying a portion of vthe all times, except when actually shifting the l Gears. D Another object is to vprovide a mechanism for preventing' the shifting ofpone set of gears while another set is in'mesh;r` V

' Other objects of the` invention will appearas the description proceeds; l

'This applicationis afdivision4 of my prior application, Serial No.-342,685, tiled Feb. 25,`

My inventionl will'be best understood from the following description'ta-ken with the accompanying drawings in whichz.

Fig. 1 is a plan View cfm-y improved cover plate and associated parts;

Figkf is a vertical section tia'lly along Athe line 2-2 of Fi-g i1;l Fig-3 is a vertical side View, partly 1n section, of. a conventional transmission gear box with my cover plate applied. Fig.j4 is a ydetail plan view showingthe slip rods and lthe locking mechanism; and

.Fi-g. y'5 isa vertical section taken substantially alongline 5 5 of'Fig. 1. Referring now to the drawings in which like reference characters'denote like elements throughout, Ihave shown at 10,a coverplat which may ibesubstituted for the usual cover plate of the transmission housing, and which t taken substanguides, .and may beffastened Eto the gbase plate in any desired manner Vsuch as by rivets 22.

or otherwise. Sliding 'between rib'20 and guides `18 are slip rods 24and `26 their function is tofactuate shifting forks-28 and These shifting liorlrsv are operatively lcon- 1 nested with collars 32 and` 34 :integral :with gears 36 and 38, thelatter being splined toA driven shaft 40. The details of the shifting mechanism need not be described,-sincemy.

improved vcoverplate is capable of. use with any ge ar shift. Y

Thewshiflting forks 28 and. 30 are mounted upon slipfrodsi24 and 26 ina novel manner,as

can be best seen froinflig. .5. The forkcomprises a Vbody portion 42 and an end'portion 44.v A locating stud 46 extends upward at right angles to end portion 44and`isadapted tol register with ahjole48 drilled inthe slip rod. Afterinserting 'the-locating studin itsv appropriate hole, av rivet `50 may be applied thru the -end'fportion and'slip rod, `and .then

theouter end of locating stud`14j6 is npset toy provide a Vsecond rivet-like connection; This construction is necessaryin order-to .avoid the useoi two legs upon the sliiftingfork. It will bessen that a second iendportion extending in theopposite direction 'from 44 would interfere/:with 'the lateral movementV of' the shifting fork.' increasing lthe size` of the slot in whichthe fork slips is not possible; hence the lconstruction described is the` only practicab'le manner of obtaining a simple connection between slip `rod and-shifting fork.

l A top plate v52 is mountedover rib l20 `and slip rods -24 and 26,*being'held in place-by bolts 54 :or any otherconventional "means,- I

provide'slots 5 6 and l581in this vtop-plate thruV Avyhichy project lugs 6Oand'62.v yThese lugs are `i'xed to the slip rods, and areusedin movin theslip-'rods inthe following*I'nann-er lever-"64 ispivojted ltof'the A'base plate at 66. The inner arm of this leverbears -a slotted head 68 which permits sliding-operative connectionbetween the leve-r yarm and the slip rod. --A stirrup 70, vpivoted to the outer armof l the lever at 7 2 is connected, by meansiofconr necting rods 74, to vthe piston of afvcon'ventional gear shifting cylinder. y'Details of 'the cylinder'y and 'its connection are shown'in the transversely thereof. This groove maybe ap-V Y proximately one-half the depth ofthe rib. Its length vis regulated by the diameter of discs 78 and 80, whose dimensions are determined in the following manner. On the inner face of each slip rod is a semi-cylindrica`l`de-- pression 82 and-82a. This depression` is so located that, whenV4 the slip rod, and consez quently the gears which it controls are in thejposition corresponding Vto neutral, the aforesaid depression will be adjacent groove 76. Discs 78 and 80, which slide freely in groove 76, 'are of such a diameter that their.

combined widths are. exactly equalA to the width of1rib20 plus thedepth of one of the depressions 82 or 82a. The width of groove 76 (that is to say, its dimension as measured from right to left in Fig. 4) is the/same as the diameter of either of the discs.

The structure'just described comprises my imfproved drift lock, whose operation is as follows: Assuming-the car to be in neutral, it isobvious that slip rods 24 and 26 will ybe in such a position that `depressions 82 and 82a will coincide with groove 76. Discs 78 and 80 will then be free to slide from side to side, entering the depression of either-.slip

rod. But, if one of the slip rods be moved, in the process `of shifting gears, the adjacent disc will, of course, be forced outof its corresponding depression 82 or V 82a and will be pushed entirely into groove 7 6. `This will compel the other disc to enter the depression in its corresponding slip rod. In this manner the second slip rod will be locked firmly in position and will not be movable until the first slip rod and its gears arerestored to neutral. For example, in Fig. 4, slip rod 26 as illustrated is moved'to the right. This forces discV 80 completely into groove76.-A `Disc 78 is thereby forced into depression 82'in slip rod 24. If now an attempt be made to move slip rod 24, it will be foundthat the pressure against discs 78 and 80 and the smooth face of slip rod `26 will prevent movement of slip rod 24. .If, however, slip rod 26 be restored to neutral position, then if slip rod 24 be moved, disc 80 f. willbe forced into depression 82a disc 7 8 will be entirely within` groove 76, and slip rodk26 will in its turn be locked in neutral position. It will be seen, therefore, that I have provided an extremely simple and compact locking mechanism, which will effectually prevent the movementof Vone-slip Vrod or the's .gears connected with itas long as the gears controlled by the opposite slip rod are in mesh. .This avoids any possibility of two sets of gears meshingsimultaneously, with Vthe disastrous consequences that would necessarily result. l Y

It sometimes occurs that the driver of an automobile will attempt to shift gears without disengaging the clutch. When gears are shifted by hand, Ytheir clashing will give warning of this mistake, and they can be instantly released. In any automatic gear shift, however, sinceA the actionis positive,"V

it is necessaryto guard against any possibility of shifting except with a disengaged clutch. With this object in view, I provide a locking mechanism .which is operatively connected `with theclutch pedal in such a manner that the slip rods canV not be moved except when the clutch isdisengaged.`

A groove 84 vis formed longitudinally' in Y rib 20. Slidably mounted in this groove is a dagger-element 86.l This dagger has upon its top surface a lug 88 extending thru a slot 90 in the top plate 52, ina manner similar to that described for lugs 60 in the slip rods. One ,end of `this dagger is in the form of a wedge 92. Longitudinal groove 84 terminates at one end in a transverse groove 96. Sliding.. in groove 96 are two discs 98 and 100. These discs are similar to, but smaller than, the preivously described drift lock discs 78 and l80. Y

In slip rod 24 are three semi-cylindrical depressions102, 104 and 106. Similar depressions 108, 110 and 112 are formed on the inner faceof slip rod 26'. VThese depressions are located on the inner faces of slip rods 24 and 26 in such a manner that, when the slip rods are in neutral position, depressions 104 and 110 will be opposite groove 96; depression 102 will be opposite groove 96 when slip rod 24 is moved to a position which we may, for illustration, call first speed; depression 106 will register' with groove 96 when slip rod 24 is moved to what we may call second speed. Depressions 108 land 112 similarly the depressionswhich happen to register at the time withgroove 96. I provide a mechanism for automatically controlling this wedge action of dagger 86. A lever 114 is pivoted on .the base plate at 116. Onefarm-118 of this lever bears a slottedhead 120-which engages lug 88 onrtheV dagger, and is adapted` to make it slidein groove 84. The other arm of lever 114 is attached by a conventional linkingmechanism 1,22 to a clamp. 124, which is adapted to surround the clutch pedal arm.' Extending outwardlyv from 4head 120 is an arm 126'. This arm has an eye 128 in its outer extremity. A 'spring 130 anchored. at 132 tends constantly to pull the 126, andconto wedge between discs 98 and 10G. Depression of the clutch pedal, acting through connecting element122, will move the lever arm 118 in a manner Vto counteract the pull ofV spring 130, and will move the dagger 86 to the right, out of engagement With the aforesaid discs. y

The action of the clutch lock should ynow be clear.v When the clutch is in, spring 130 will force dagger 86' between discs 98 and 100. These discs will therefore be forced outwardly, and they will project into the depression on the inner faces of slip rods 24 and 26, thereby locking the, slip rods against any movement. When, however, the clutch pedal is depressed, lever arm 118 will release the dagger from engagement with the discs, and, if an attempt is'made' to move oneof the slip rods, the corresponding discs will be pushed inwardly, out of engagement with said rod, and shifting ofthe gears will be possible. As long however, as the clutch is Y engaged, the locking mechanism will prevent of said depressions, and inlocking engage.

movement of the slip rods.

It is to be understood of course, that while I have indicated a specific and preferred form of my mechanism, this is to be considered as illustrative only and my invention is tol be considered broadly, and limited only bythe prior art and the scope of the appended claims. f

I claim: L f

1. A transmission cover plate for a pneumatic gear shift, comprising a base plate, a cover plate spaced therefrom, slip rods slidably mounted between said plates, a clutchv lock, comprising a pair of discs, a plurality of corresponding depressions in said slipfrods, and means for forcing said discs into certain ment with said sliprods.

2. A transmission cover plate for a' pneumatic gear shift, comprising a base plate, a

cover plate spaced therefrom, slip rods slidy gagement with said-slip rods, said means coml y l prising a wedge shaped element adapted to enter between said discs and force them apart, and means for controlling the action of said wedge, comprising a lug on said wedge, a lever'pivoted' on said base plate, and slidably connectedwith said wedge, means, to move and hold said lever and said wedge into engagement with said discs, and means to oppose said moving and holding means. y

4. In a pneumatic gear shift, a cover plate comprising a base plate, a top plate, a dagger slidably mounted between said base and -top plates, a lug on said dagger projectingv thru a slot in said top plate, a lever pivoted on said base plate, one arm being operatively connected with the clutch controlof the car for urging said lever in one direction, re-

silient means for movingsaid lever in the opposite direction and means mounted between said plates and actuated by said dagger for locking the gear shifting mechanism When said lever is in one of its extreme positions.

5. In a pneumatic gear shift, a base plate, atop plate, slip rods slidably mounted between said plates, said slip rods having depressions on their opposed faces, a pair of discs slidably mounted between said plates, and between said slip rods, and adapted to venter the depressions in said rods, a daggerV slidably mounted, and adapted to be forced between said discs, thereby pushing them into the said depressions, a lug on said dag-v ger, extending thrua slot in said top plate,

a lever mounted on said base plate, a slotted head intermediate onearm of said lever, and operatively engaging said lugs, resilient means urging said arm and dagger toward said discs, means operatively connected with the second arm of said lever to move saidY lever and dagger away from said discs. In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specificationlthis 12th day 0f March, 1929. Y HARRY E. SPENCER.

i ably mounted between said plates, a clutch lock, comprising a pair of discs, a plurality of corresponding depressions in said slip rods, and means for forcing said Vdiscs into.

certain of said depressions, and in locking engagement with said slip rods, said means com-- prising a wedge shapedV elemen'tadapted to enter between said discs' and force them apart.

3. A transmission cover plate for a pneumatic gear shift, comprising a base plate,

a cover plate spaced therefrom, slip rods slidably mounted between said plates, `a'

clutch lock, comprising a pair of discs, a plui rality of corresponding depressions in said slip rods, means for forcing said discs into certain of said depressions, and in locking en- 

